United Nations Emergency Force

The United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF), which was operational from November 1956 to June 1967, was the first armed United Nations peacekeeping mission. The plans and lessons-learned from UNEF on subjects such as consent, force generation and reimbursement have influenced all subsequent peacekeeping operations.

A second United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF II) was operational between October 1973 to July 1979.

Mandate

UNEF was established by the General Assembly, acting under the Uniting for Peace resolution, in its resolutions 1000 (ES-I) and 1001 (ES-I), to secure and supervise the cessation of hostilities in the Suez.

Blue helmets

UNEF was the first mission in which blue helmets were used to be able to identify peacekeepers from other military forces in the area.

Key documents

• General Assembly resolution 377 (V) Uniting for Peace
• General Assembly resolutions 997 (ES-I) and 998 (ES-I)
• A/3289 First report on the plan for an emergency force
• A/3302 Second and final report on the plan for an emergency force
• General Assembly resolutions 1000 (ES-I) and 1001 (ES-I)
• A/3375 Report of the Secretary-General; includes as annex the aide-mémoire on the basis for presence and functioning of UNEF in Egypt
• A/3945 Summary study of the experience derived from the establishment and operation of UNEF